Montreal, May 2008 – L’Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante (ASSÉ), a Quebec-wide student union representing over 42 000 students, has passed a resolution to support the growing boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against Israeli Apartheid. The motion was passed at the ASSÉ annual Congress, held on April 26th and 27th in Montreal. This resolution comes after over a year of consultations and discussions held within local student unions, in collaboration with Tadamon! Montreal, a local social justice collective. ASSÉ now invites all progressive organizations to join and support the call for the boycott campaign, issued by over 170 Palestinian civil society groups.

Student unions present at the ASSÉ annual congress have decided to actively support the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against Israeli Apartheid. This decision follows past resolutions in support of Palestinian liberation and in solidarity with international struggles for self-determination. Since october 2007, ASSÉ has been working with Tadamon! Montreal to organize the “Middle East / Montreal Popular Education Project”, a series of workshops held in cegeps and universities. ASSÉ has decided to continue these discussions and to actively engage in promoting the boycott campaign.

The boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against Israeli Apartheid comes in response to a call issued by over 170 Palestinian civil society groups to organizations and “people of conscience all over the world”, in support of their struggle. This campaign is an opportunity to stand in solidarity with Palestine and to pressure the governments supporting Israeli Apartheid, including Canada and Quebec.

Until now the Fédération nationale des enseignants et enseignantes du Québec (FNEEQ-CSN), the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) – Ontario have expressed their support for the boycott campaign.

ASSÉ members will also take part in actions to concretely support the boycott resolution. We will also continue to organize workshops about Canadian complicity with Israeli Apartheid over the course of the Fall Semester.